Musical toy



Nov. 1, 1949 J. GREEN 2,487,021

MUSICAL TOY Filed Jan. 10, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 23 7? Gree ATTOR N EY Nov. 1, 1949 J. GREEN 2,487,021 MUSICAL TOY Filed Jan. 10, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 2 lime ENVENTQR kfasep/z Green BY TTORNEY Patented Nov. 1,1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL TOY Joseph Green, New York, N.Y. Application January 10, 1946, Serial No. 640,316 3 Claims. (01.84-377) This invention relates to musical toys.

An object of this invention is to provide a musical toy in the form of abook comprising a musical wind instrument with sheets on saidinstrument, each sheet givin instructions to the child for playing of atune on said instrument.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described so constructed that the child can look at a sheetwhile holding the instrument and blowing thereinto.

Yet a further object of this invention is to pro vide a device of thecharacter described provided with a number of sheets or pages or leaveswith a song on each one so that the pages may be turned and the sheetsbeing so arranged that each of the sheets may be readily seen while thechild is blowing the instrument, whereby a number of songs may beplayed.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described comprising a casing which may be held in the handsand provided with means to permit the child to blow into the casing toproduce notes of a scale, and a plurality of leaves or pages hinged tothe rear of the casing and overlyin said casing, said pages beingadapted to be turned upwardly so that the child may look at the sheetswhile blowing through holes at the front edge of the casing, and eachleaf containing simple instructions for playing a tune, so that a childmay read and follow the instructions on a sheet while blowing into thecasing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed comprising a box provided with a plurality of numberedopenings corresponding to notes in a scale, the instrurnent being soarranged that a child may blow into the various holes to produce thevarious notes of the scale, and a sheet on the box on which is markedsuccessive numbers corresponding to the numbered holes through which thechild should blow in order to play a tune, said sheet being furtherprovided with numbers one to eight and guide lines leading from thenumbers to the various holes to aid the child in blowing the holecorresponding to its number.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a strong, compactand durable toy of the character described, which shall be relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, easy to play, which shall be attractive inappearance, and yet practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructionhereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will beindicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possibleillustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a musical toy embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the front wall of said toy; I

3 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the music box or casing;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a toy embodying the invention andillustrating a modified construction with parts broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating yet another view ofthe invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates a musical toyembodying the invention. The same comprises a box or casing H. Saidcasing ll comprises a bottom wall l2, 2. rear wall [3, end walls 14, anda top wall IS. The front of the casing is closed by a bar 16. The bar l6may, if desired, be provided with top and bottom longitudinal grooves I!to receive the forward edges 18 of the top and bottom walls 15 and I2.The bar I6 is furthermore formed with a plurality of equally spacedthrough openings 19. Said bar is furthermore formed in its front facewith a recess 20 communicating with each openin L) as shown in thedrawing. Attached to the inner surface 2| of bar I6 is a reed plate 22formed with openings 23 registering with the recesses '20. At tached toplate 22 are the reeds 24, each reed registering with an opening 23. Thereeds vary so that upon blowing through the various openings IS, thenotes of a scale will be sounded.

One side wall I4 is formed with an exhaust opening 21. The top wall 15is marked with a plurality of longitudinal guide lines 39 extending fromfront to rear and each line being aligned with one of the openings l9.

Attached to the rear of the box is a cover member 32 adapted to overliethe top of the box. The cover member 32 is hinged to the back of thebox, as at 33. Between the cover and box are a plurality of hingedleaves or pages 34. On the inside of each leaf adjacent the bottomthereof are marked the numbers 1 to 8 successively, aligned the lines30, respectively, so that a child holding the box in front of him andblowing through the openings l9 may read the numbers and watch the guidelines 30 so that he will know the number of each opening he is blowing.

It will now be understood that a child may play a tune by blowing intothe holes is.

On each sheet 34 appears instructions for playing a difierent tune. Eachsheet may hence bear the name of a song, as at 31. Also it may bear apicture 38 illustrating the song. Also on each sheet appears a series ofconsecutive numerals, as at All. The numerals are selected from numerals1 to 8. These numerals indicate the numbers of the openings in which achild should blow consecutively in order to play the tune entitled ordesignated, as at 31. Thus for example,

on the sheet appear the numerals, 3-2l2333, etc. If the child will firstblow through opening nuber 3, then 2, then I, then 2, then thrice inopening number 3, and so forth, he will play the tune for Mary Had aLittle Lam If a child wishes to play another song, the leaves are turneddown until the leaf bearing the song he wishes to play is next. On theback of each sheet appear guide lines similar to lines 30, so that nomatter how many sheets are down, the child can always have the guidelines available, to facilitate his playing the correct notes. It willnow be understood that the toy is educational in that it will teach thechild various tunes. The child can always look at the sheet whileplaying. He can turn the pages and get a number of songs.

A hand may be cupped over opening 21 to obtain a muting efiect. Theguide lines make it easy for the child to know which hole he is blowing.The box is easy to hold and it is attractive since it is in book form.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a device Illa, embodying the invention, andillustrating a modified construction. The device Illa differs from thedevice I!) in that pipes 50 of various lengths are substituted for thereed plate in order to obtain the various notes of the scale. may besubstituted any other sound producing device. Thus the tubes 56 may bein the form of whistles having different pitch.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a device lob illustrating still another form ofthe invention. In Fig. 101) the front bar is substituted by a bar 60having only a single opening 6! in which a child may blow. Attached tothe inside of the bar 60 and disposed within the box is a rearwardlyextending tube 62 from which there extends a tube 63 parallel to the bar5!]. Tube 63 extends to one side wall [4 of the box. Within the tube 63is a plunger or piston 65 connected to a piston rod 66. Tube 63 isclosed by stopper 61 at wall [4. opening 63 through which the rod 66passes. Within the tube 63 is a sound producing device 12. The soundproducing device is so constructed that as the child blows in throughopening 6|, movement of the plunger in and out will produce variousnotes depending on the distance that the plunger is moved. The child maythus play vari- For the reeds The stopper 6! is formed with a central 4ous tunes. The sound device 12 may be in the form of a whistle.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim. as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A device of the character described, comprising .a box having abottom wall, a top wall, a rear wall, side walls, and a front wall, saidfront wall being formed with a plurality of openings, and means toproduce various notes of a scale by blowing in various openings, and aplurality of sheets hinged. to the rear wall and adapted to overlie thetop wall, said top wall and the back of each sheet being provided withguide lines aligned with the respective openings on said front Wall.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a box having a bottomwall, a top wall, a rear wall, side Walls, and a front wall, said frontwall being formed with a plurality of openings, means to produce variousnotes of a scale by blowing in various openings, and a plurality ofsheets hinged to the rear wall and adapted to overlie the top wall, saidtop wall and the back of each sheet being provided with guide linesaligned with the respective openings on said front wall, each sheetbeing marked with a series of numbers to indicate which openings to blowinto successively to produce a given tune.

3. A musical instrument comprising a device formed with a row ofopenings, means to produce the respective notes of the scale uponsuccessively blowing through said openings, and a plurality of hingedleaves adapted to overlie said instrument, each leaf being a series ofnumbers corresponding to the numbers of the opening, the back of eachleaf being provided with a guide line extending from the numbers of thenext adjacent leaf toward said respective openings.

JOSEPH GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 176,124 St. John Apr. 11, 1876922,121 Fraser May 18, 1909 1,573,242 Hand Feb. 16, 1926 1,722,852Miller July 30, 1929 1,797,613 Peterson Mar. 24, 1931

